Drum Circle FAQ

What
the heck is a drum circle? - A drum circle, most simply put,
is a group of people gathered into a circle for the purpose of making
music with percussion instruments. It can be as simple as three friends
in a living room, or as involved as a thousand music industry workers
jamming outside the Civic Center in Anaheim after the NAMM show closes.

Drum Circles nowadays take many forms,
and are used for many purposes, but at the most basic level, the idea
is to play music on drums & other percussion instruments as a group.
beginning n the nineteen sixties, here in the U.S., purely recreational
drumming jam sessions became gradually more common in public places
in the bigger cities, often very loosely organized, usually without
a designated leader, consisting of a group of friends simply improvising
together, and letting the music emerge as it will. This is an UNFACILITATED
or tribal style drum jam or drum circle. In the very early days, we
didn't call them drum circles. Some of these evolved into weekly or
monthly gatherings in a park or other neutral public location, and they
continue today, more popular than ever.

FACT: This type
of 'tribal' style informal drum circle has its historical roots
in the U.S. cultural revolution of the nineteen sixties. Many
community circles here today still have a counter-culture style
or flavor to them. Apparently the drumming, at least, was a good
idea, because it is now being heartily embraced by mainstream
societies around the world.

SIDE TRIP:Watch
a video about one of the older, better established community
circles in the U.S.A.: the Griffith Park circle in Los Angeles.

Other drum circles with a long term history are
Hippie
Hill in San Fransisco, which has been going strong for over
40 years, and the long famous Harlem drumming scene, at Marcus
Garvey Park, which has recently been attacked by the incoming
yuppies who, by complaining, are ruining a Harlem recreational
drumming scene which has been a tradition for decades. another
very well developed community drum circle is the Venice Beach
Circle, in Southern California.

Did Arthur Hull invent the Drum
Circle?

No, he did not. He played in earlier community
drum circles around the San Fransisco Bay area before he began doing
his programs, and was nurtured in a musical environment which included
freeform circles like those of the Rainbow Tribe and Hippie Hill. Arthur
HAS, however, inspired and popularized the use of the FACILITATED
drum circle, which is a very powerful tool for change, and he has empowered
many bright people, from many walks of life, with knowledge of the principles
of facilitating a music making event in circle format. The overall effect
of his activity on the growing recreational drumming and music making
scene is unmistakable and profound. Arthur has brought the joy of drumming
to a great many people who were not exposed to it previously.

Virtually everyone working with
facilitated drum circles today has been affected by his work. Thanks,
Arthur.

For more on stu's take on Arthur Hull,
and facilitated drum circles, see
this page.

How
is a Community drum circle different from regular African or other traditional
drumming situations?

Many cultures have long and distinct musical
traditions, and the goal is not only the making of good music, but the
preservation/transmission of the culture in a relatively traditional
form. There is a way to do the music, and a way not to do it. Only experienced
and authorized drummers are supposed to play, and there is a prescribed
method of getting to that position, usually study with one of the master
drummers. This too is a rewarding musical experience, but it's different
from a community drum circle. Examples of this would be African drum
& dance classes, a Cuban style rumba,
or perhaps a belly dancing event, with doumbek and sometimes riq accompaniment..

A
community drum circle, in contrast, is often a fun, multicultural,
mixed level, group music making event, with freely improvised rhythms,
and the music is created on the spot, in the moment. There is no 'audience';
everyone is welcome to play, dance, or listen as the mood strikes them.
Bring a drum if you have one. It's a jam session, an exploration. The
language of rhythm transcends normal communication boundaries, so one
sometimes finds folks interacting who would normally have trouble doing
so..

Often at larger community drum circles,
some people will choose to dance in the middle of the circle, or fire/hoop
dancers or others will be practicing at the same time, so that the drumming
is part of a larger social event.

Facilitated
drum circles may have a specific focus, like an educational kids' circle,
a team building session for corporate executives, or a therapy session
for special needs populations and done or accompanied by a music therapist.

Facilitated drum circles are more highly
organized, accompanied by a protocol which sometimes involves other
steps as well, in addition to drumming, such as guided imagery, discussion,
and so on. Rather than a teacher, the leader is referred to as a facilitator,
and it is his job to make the music making process as easy as possible
for all..

The demographics of the group, and the
intention of the gathering, along with the instrumentation, the room/setting
logistics, and the background & skill of the facilitator or facilitation
team, if there is one, determine the direction the circle will take.

I sometimes attend a weekly community
drum circle. Why is the music so much fun one time, and so frustrating
another time?

Community drum circles tend vary widely
in quality, depending on the facilitator, participant demographics,
the beginner to advanced ratio, and the general state of mind of the
players. It can be very subjective. More than once, I have finished
playing, feeling (one way or another), to discover that the guy next
to me had been feeling just the opposite. Music is a many faceted and
wonderful thing.

Sometimes
the source of irritation is obvious, like a loud aggressive drummer
who is not listening to the rest of the group, drowning everyone else
out. there are various interventions which might be tried, to reach
the guy, but the best thing for you, the newbie, to do at that point
is to move around the circle to see if there is a place where the sound
isn't too overbearing. It changes every few feet, in bigger rooms or
outdoors. You might try earplugs, and/or switching from an overworked
hand drum to bell or shakers. It is supposed to be fun, and relaxing.
If you are frustrated or in pain, this isn't how it should be.

Are there universal principles that apply to the physical
act of drumming?

The qualities of relaxation and
simple awareness [attention]greatly enhance the experience. Drums
respond to changes in where the instrument is struck, rubbed or shaken,
how hard, with what shape (which part of your hand or a stick or mallet
touches which part of the instrument, in what way). in the case of a
shaker, the position of the shaker and the direction speed and size
of the movement all produce different results. It is fascinating to
manipulate these parameters for musical effect. Keep eye contact with
the other players, and use all the audio AND visual information to find
a part that fits and supports..

The leader at a local drum circle near
me keeps asking me to play the same simple thing over and over. Why
won't he let me play what I want?

Without seeing you and your facilitator
in action, I couldn't really say for sure. In a good community drum
circle, there has to be a balance between spontaneity and order.

He may recognize in you the ability to
do something which he thinks will help stabilize the rhythm. (Then again,
he could be treating the drum circle like a drum class, trying to 'push
the river', instead of letting it flow by itself.) This depends on the
musical factors at work in YOUR circle. It's a flux, a continuum. Give
him a chance. Play your part modestly for awhile to help the groove
get going, and play very simply, and instead of doodling, use the extra
consciousness to listen to everyone else. Maintain eye contact. Leave
lots of open spaces. Listen more than you speak. Don't play too loud.
Notice how the main parts all interact. THEN, if you feel a certain
part, go with it. If he objects again at that point, maybe he is
the one who needs to adapt.

What's the best instrument to start out on? What is YOUR situation? If you buy a big loud
drum, but you live in a small apartment, uh...you'll want to have a
place to go and play.

Start experimenting , and resolve to explore rhythm.
Your body is a great first instrument. Play it, until you get a drum.
The human body was the very first instrument.

Musical side trip: Body Percussion
or Body Music

If you are like most of us, you will eventually amass
a collection of drums, shakers, bells, scrapers, and so on.. You can
easily start with some smaller percussion instruments, perhaps a tamborine,
a bell of some sort, and a few shakers, and expand your collection from
there as your situation evolves. There are also lots of homemade and
found options; see our homemade page
for more on this.